Michael Sandle, born (1936) and brought up on the Isle of Man, is best known as a sculptor but spent most of his time whilst a student at the Slade in the etching and lithography studios. In a statement made in 1988 he averred that printmaking was a seminal activity for him, which significantly affected his development as an artist, particularly the way he continued to draw, and he confessed to sometimes having a longing to make prints. Sandle was attracted to imagery early on in his career which implied warfare, whether civilian or military - images of gas masks and armour, for example are found in his student works.